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The Louvre’s 5 Most Famous Artworks

The Louvre in Paris is the world’s most visited museum. Its legendary collection boasts more than 35,000 paintings, sculptures and artifacts dating from prehistory to the modern day. The masterpieces are myriad, but these 5 are the crème de la crème.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” (1503-1506)

Possibly the most famous painting in the world, Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” is synonymous with the Louvre. Her enigmatic smile and inescapable gaze draws millions to Paris every year.

“Venus De Milo” (ca. 130-100 B.C.)

Wonderfully maintained over two millennia, this statue of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, is one of the most iconic specimens of ancient Greek sculpture.

Photo: @Rodney flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Michelangelo’s “The Rebellious Slave” (1513)

This 2.15-meter-high statue of a slave struggling against his fetters is one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements and a sublime demonstration of sculpture’s dynamic potential.

Photo: Ivo Jansch @flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

“The Seated Scribe” (ca. 2600 B.C.)

Dating back to the days of the Pharaohs, this exquisite painted limestone sculpture is the most renowned piece in the Louvre’s exceptional collection of Egyptian antiquities.

The Louvre Pyramid, designed by I.M. Pei (1989)

Highly controversial upon its construction, the Louvre Pyramid is now one of Paris’ cultural treasures. The glass pyramid’s spectacular nighttime illumination is not to be missed.

Louvre Museum: Our Tips

Avoiding the queues

The queues to the Louvre can be daunting. The main entrance, through the Louvre Pyramid, is always the most crowded. An insider tip is using the entrance located in the underground shopping center, Carrousel du Louvre, where you can buy your ticket and pass the security checks free of hassle. If you want to experience the Pyramid, you can always do so on your way out.

Give yourself plenty of time and come prepared

The museum is gigantic, so it’s essential to make sure you have enough time to see everything you want. The museum is open from 9:00AM until 6:00PM on most days, and until 9:45PM on Wednesdays and Fridays. Arrive early, grab one of the free maps at the ticket purchase area, and take some time to plan your visit – it’s worth it!

Watch out for Tuesdays!

Together with a number of Paris’ museums, the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. Take this opportunity to visit other sights such as the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe and come back on another day!

Good to Know

When to visit

The Louvre is open from 9:00AM to 6:00PM, except on Wednesdays and Fridays when it remains open until 9:45PM. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays.

What is the price?

Ticket prices start at just 12€ for access to the permanent collections.

Will I need a guide?

A guide can definitely help. There are several options for audio guides and small-group tours available!

How to get there

Take the metro on line 1 to the Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station. The Paris Open Tour bus also stops at the Pyramid.

Additional tips

* The rooms begin to close 30 minutes before the museum's closing time.
* From October to March, access to the permanent collections is free on the first Sunday of each month!
* On French public holidays, the museum may have shorter hours, or may be closed entirely.

What People Are Saying About Louvre Museum

Perfect for last minute travelers with little time to spare

We tried to book Eiffel Tower tickets a few days in advance on the website which is nearly impossible as they are sold out at least a month in advance; however, I happened to follow the Ad on Google and found this wonderful website that offered very good prices on skip-the-line packages. We bought the Eiffel Tower Summit, Louvre, and Cruise package and after skipping all of the lines with our crabby littles (two under 3) we were thankful we paid the slightly increased prices for that advantage. I would recommend this package for everyone and believe 100% we got our money's worth.

Great to skip the queue. Stunning building & art works/sculptures.

Would recommend getting tickets before day as it saves time. Stunning art works and sculpture pieces...obviously including the Mona Lisa. Think the ceiling art work in some of the rooms were my favourite. It was a lovely dry day so bought tasty sandwiches from cafe and sat outside to eat them.

Great overall package for visiting Paris.

Canal cruise at night was beautiful. Eiffel Tower tour was relatively expensive for what you get and crowded with security delays even with this pass. Louvre tour would have been more interesting with the audio pen guidance.

It was a good choice I propose for everybody

We really enjoyed the Excellent guidance and info during the tour.

The guide was very knowledgable. Her explanations were full of useful anecdotes. The halls to be visited during the short tour were very well selected so as cover the most important parts seen by general tourists like us.